Realest Of Football, Realest Of Talk: Football League, Blue Square & Beyond, 2009/10

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READY?

BBC Sport brings Football League fans across the country unrivalled coverage of their team next season, with a new Saturday night programme called The Football League Show, which will showcase all the goals from the Coca-Cola Championship, League One and League Two.

Presented by Manish Bhasin, The Football League Show will begin on Saturday 8 August at 11.10pm [1] on BBC One.

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Joining Manish in the studio, with his unique brand of expert analysis and candid opinion on major talking points, will be Steve Claridge, whose playing career included spells at Leicester City, Portsmouth, Millwall and Birmingham City to name but four clubs.

BBC Radio 5 Live regular Mark Clemmit takes up the role of roving reporter, bringing viewers all of the stories making the headlines.

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Live coverage of the Football League also returns to the BBC for the first time since 1988. Ten matches from the Championship will be shown live, beginning with West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United on Saturday 8 August at 5.20pm (kick-off 5.30pm) on BBC One.

In addition there will be a divisional goals round-up from each league every week. All the Carling Cup and Johnstone's Paint Trophy goals will also be available.

The Football League Show will also be available for seven days on BBC iPlayer and on BBC Red Button until midday the next day (Sunday).

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READY!

It's all go! I can't wait! Can you?

P.S. can ILXors' teams plz try not to get relegated this season kthx

I have a bad feeling about this (BBC I mean). How are they going to work John Barrowman into the Saturday evening live matches?

I have a bad feeling because Manish Bhasin is a quite hysterically awful presenter, but hey, at least there's proper non-ITV highlights now to showcase Gillingham's improbable rise to glory

I have a bad feeling about this (BBC I mean). How are they going to work John Barrowman into the Saturday evening live matches?

He's going to sing a different Andrew Lloyd Webber-composed theme tune every week, while The Football League Show 2 (hosted by Graham Norton) sees the public vote for which one they want permanently installed by Christmas. Can't fail!

just noticed it's Swygart's birthday, so have a good one old chum and I'll wish some fortune on Soton

...some Jonathan Fortune that is!!

just noticed it's Swygart's birthday, so have a good one old chum and I'll wish some joy on Soton

...some Ian Joy that is!!

RIP Stern John.

just noticed it's Swygart's birthday, so have a good one old chum and I'll wish some bridge-wilkinson on Soton

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Boro sign Leroy Lita, send Mido to Zamalek

Ken Bates appears to have accepted a lower bid than Man City's for his best player, because he doesn't like Man City very much.

Something is rotten at Cambridge United - Martin Ling's left his post after nine days, and the official line is "irreconcilable differences between (him) and chairman George Rolls". Chairman George Rolls was also suggested as the key figure in the sacking of Gary Brabin, who led Cambridge to the play-offs last season, over a difference of opinion in the playing budget. All very odd.

Something's been rotten there for years. Deeply troubled club.

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HE'S READY

http://www.ananka.co.uk/pics/wow1.jpg

HE'S READY FOR WHATEVER IT IS HE DOES THESE DAYS

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IT'S READY

fuck why can i not separate that face from jimmy bullard's

Because it looks exactly like Jimmy Bullard.

I'm predicting the Championship top six to be this:

1. Middlesbrough
2. Sheffield United
3. West Brom
4. Ipswich
5. Reading
6. QPR

Michael McIndoe has signed for Coventry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PINxfouNQFw

Odds on Jermaine Beckford moving to West Brom have gone from 20/1 to 2/1 this afternoon.

Because it looks exactly like Jimmy Bullard.

also Dave Stelfox

As one might expect from a channel that's just bought the rights to show Football League matches, the Beeb's League Two preview article is pretty thorough, albeit slightly dodgily subbed. And Macclesfield Town appear to be the only side not tipped for a top-half finish.

Will you be rooting for or inwardly hissing at the Cherries this season?

holy shit Kevin Poole is still a registered player o_O

I'd say that, if they actually manage a run for the play-offs given just how hamstrung they've been financially, then they, and Eddie Howe, deserve all the praise they can get. The prospect of us playing them next season... well, really, we've only ourselves to blame for that.

Kevin Poole was, I think, first choice for Burton for most of last season. Aged 46. I remember him from one of the Premier League sticker books in the mid-90s, when he was at Leicester, and he looked pretty ancient back then...

that's the kind of shit that stopped happening in the 1950's, or at least only ever happened to stanley matthews

the W.G. Grace of football

imo Bournemouth will not be playing Southampton next season. besides, we've both met nemeses already in Gillingham and Exeter

regardless, props to Howe and his merrie men.

Kevin Poole signed a professional contract in 1981

1981

Just For Men's been good to him.

He's also older than 12 of the managers in League Two; this includes Paul Peschisolido, his actual boss, who's just under eight years Poole's junior.

Super Donny have made their first signing of the off-season: Quinton Fortune!

bloody 'ell

i was watching an early-00's ESPN highlights reel the other day and blow me down if it wasn't Vegard Heggem...

Ooh, and the Beeb have done a team-by-team for League One as well, now. Radio Solent dude reckons we should aim for the play-offs, which seems about right. Need a striker tho.

Jonjo Shelvey is the player to watch if you're an Ipswich fan. He won't be at Charlton this time next month. Also A+ sarcasm, cheers folks

also it will be interesting to see 24 clubs finish in the play-offs

carlisle, yeovil and possibly swindon seem fucked to me

Joe Kinnear claims he was offered a two-year deal to be Newcastle boss, which he turned down for health reasons. In other news, no-one has bought the club off Mike Ashley yet.

I can't decide whether to hope the rumours about Jermaine Beckford being sold by Leeds to WBA are true or not, given it's 72 hours or so until we play them at their place. Like: is an unsettled JB a weaker choice than a second choice with something to prove? Not sure.

Leeds are supposed to have a decent choice of strikers - Becchio's meant to be a bit of alright, and Snodgrass, Grella and Showunmi have all had their backers in the past...

This is all quite tantalisingly close, isn't it? Here's Auntie's Blue Square preview. Not quite as many predicting the play-offs in this one.

Right. That's why I'm thinking that Bad Uncle Ken might helpfully hold off selling until next week, giving Jermaine plenty of time to put in a thoroughly below-par unsettled performance. That doesn't seem unreasonable.

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CRABS

PUBIC LICE

or worse still

CURBS

;_;

Chester sort of saved, sort of torpedoed

Weird, it seems like the worst Premiership in ages, but bizarrely the best Championship/L1/L2 in living memory

― cockles (country matters), Friday, 7 August 2009 01:02 (0 seconds ago) Bookmark

It really does, btw. It's like every sub-Prem league has suddenly been filled with a lot of clubs 'better' than it, a lot of clubs 'just right' for it, and very few clubs 'beneath' it. I honestly can't see many teams struggling, at least relative to the previously prevailing standard of their division. There's a lot of optimism. A lot of bitterness (especially in L1!), but a lot of optimism. I can't actually explain it because the quality of footballers surely isn't much better if at all. Some strange balancing alchemy has been wrought, like the Scales Of Justice in Worms Armageddon

how is it the worst prem in ages? this strikes me as "real talk" which is actually nonsense, like most "real talk" is.

TBH the 'worst Prem in ages' thing is less important than the 'best league in ages' one, which was the starker and more exciting revelation, but this Premiership really is shaping up to be mediocre. Exciting, mind.

It's gotten to the stage where I'm almost giving both Spurs AND Man City a crack at the top 4, and where I can't see a huge world of difference in class between Everton and say Wolves. Plus, there's about 6 teams positively begging to go down.

So, anyone here going to any interesting games tomorrow?

I'm moderately stoked about the start of the season.

I'm kind of in "too excited to sleep" mode right now. Partly cos I'm at work til one then getting the train down to Southampton at 6.15 to see us enter the brave new world against Millwall.

Pre-season anticipation extending to the Boro-Blades game this evening, too. It's toniiiight...

And Boro's first-choice keeper, Brad Jones, is apparently injured, which, from the squad list on their site, suggests England U19 keeper Jason Steele is getting his first-team debut...

No, they've signed Danny Coyne, so he's in goal instead. Ah.

Grimsby's finest! Wales' non-finest.

SS1's preview has just ticked round to League One. Did you know that Phil Parkinson is still only 41?

I did. He was a Reading legend not so long ago, as my Reading-supporting friend (also Bolton but he is weird) keeps telling me. We could do with his sort alongside Racon and Bailey in the middle.

Still, I expect us to turn Wycombe over tomorrow. I'll possibly be watching it with a Wycombe fan, which will be a barrel of laughs. And yeah, pretty excited here too.

Newcastle being hawked around for £20m cash down say 'city sources' in The Times. That's less than the £400m asking price it started off at. Some glove puppet man is front-runner. Ashley desperate to conclude a deal this weekend it also says, so even that might prove to be optimistic.

Shearer could easily afford that, but will he put his money where his mouth is? I am quite literally on tenterhooks.

has Chris Morgan killed anyone yet?

oh shit, it's that time again

time for justin.tv

in fairness, most lower-league football is more exciting than this

Yeah, this is suggesting that both of these sides will have a run at the play-offs while finding automatic promotion just beyond them. Then again, that's to suggest there's sides in the division who are a clear cut above everyone else, and that's most likely not the case. Because it's The Championship, and that just isn't how things work.

^^^this

friend of mine reckons sheff u will win the league; to that i say pffft lol

As I said, all three lower-league divisions looks exceptionally well-balanced this season. There are few obvious giants or stragglers, but a general wash of sides accustomed to or at least harbouring ambitions of football at a higher level

It's ok, I'm going to stick it out. Now I have no life I have picked a team (or will pick before tomorrow) in all 4 English leagues and major European leagues to follow, just to give me something to distract me from the exciting life I currently live. So, c'mon Arsenal, Reading (local team), Millwall (dad's team), Burton Albion (picked at random), Fiorentina (purple), PSG (loose Arsenal connection), Barca (Thierry), Nurenburg (Nordtveit is there on loan, so again rubbish Arsenal connection), and I think that is too many teams to follow as is. Might eventually get reduced to Arsenal and any team playing Newcastle.

I am trying to keep a lid on how excited I am about going to Leeds tomorrow, but (a) first game of the season (b) Leeds are the team I supported as a boy in Bremner's '70s (c) Leeds is the town in which I went to University (d) first time City've ever played Leeds in the league. Amazing. But to be too thrilled is a bit tinpot, eh?

Maybe you should drop by for a drink with Swygart? Oh wait. REALEST OF TALKERS, ON THE MOVE '09

I was due to see the first (and only) time Leeds played at Edgar Street in the league last season, but it got frozen off. This fact, although I hardly knew at the time, was an indirect factor in my subsequent harrowing break-up

I'm thrilled about Wycombe at home, tbh. Football, that insidious disease

wd mark bentley, getting us off the mark after the North's finest summarily failed last night

now i go. exciting.

Oh, Norwich.

Boro v Blades was an absolutely terrible game btw

haha, am also an arsenal fan w/ a soft spot for millwall cos they're his dad's team...if hoy hoy likes cecil taylor and the dead c i feel i will have passed a v. jolly corner indeed

am stupidly excited abt LIVE! CHAMPIONSHIP! FOOTBALL!! at teatime on a saturday

yeah me, it's cos its on the beeb and it will distract me from the cricket.

Could be a cracker, the Manchester United of the Championship taking on the Newcastle of the Championship.

Norwich have scored! And so have Colchester.

I'm enjoying Shearer's quote on why he should be given the Newcastle job: "I'd dearly love the chance to finish what I started last season."

ha, I thought the same thing. To the Conference!

Norwich 1-7 Colchester

Lee Hughes got a debut hat trick for Notts County...

Joey "Bad Boy" Barton - has apparently had a bust up with Chris Houghton before the match - not in the start 11

lol that was genuinely TOO exciting, if a game can be such a thing

rob elliot with two distinct candidates for save of the decade at 3-2

all manner of missed chances and goal-line clearances, one of which came from one of our own players to prevent us going 4-2 up

basically fucking awesome insanity, loving league 1 already XD

Looks like BBC definitely beat out Sky wrt the game they showed first.

Also: Carson, Damien Duff, Luke Moore: so many broken men.

we fucking broke carson, and i hope he remembers that

Whereas Luke Moore broke himself, and Duff was broken by the earth's atmosphere.

XD

toon's reserve keeper is a 'very good kicker of a football'

Scotty C is mad good at kicking, to give him his due.

Krul has that Casablancas hollow-eyed, chubby indie kid look to him. Carroll and Moore have both looked hilariously sharp but I hope Moore wins it really.

I feel like life in the Championship will not be kind to Jonas Guttierez.

"You never rest at half-time because you think 'if we score five in a half then so can they'."

Colchester's first... fuck me.

Steve Claridge has grown his hair out.

Today was quite good fun - much better match than the game we had against Charlton. Our kids actually look to be... maturing. Lloyd James looks much better in midfield than at right-back, Lallana was proper probing and surging, lovely touches. Schneiderlin is a touch hot and cold, but his two cheeky lob attempts were fun. Murty and Harding - Actual Full Backs! - have really helped take the pressure off the kids, and once they're more settled in the side we've got a not-awful defensive unit, with Wayne Thomas being the monstrous presence our back four was crying out for. Could may be do with a better partner than Chris Perry, who's willing and gutsy but a bit too easily beaten in the air.

Our big problem's up front. Matt Paterson's come on in leaps and bounds - quick and good in the air, and not a bad finisher - but needs more support. Saganowski wasn't in shape, and we hadn't got any strikers on the bench so when Paterson came off, we seemed to sort of go 4-5-1-ish except not quite. Plenty of green shoots, though.

Millwall's strike pairing - Gary Alexander and Steve Morison - will give plenty of defences kittens, it should be noted.

The Football League Show is on iPlayer every week, btw. Manish is as uncomfortably dull as ever, and the studio makes them sound like they're in a cave, but the highlights stuff is better than it was on ITV.

The bits where they cut to Lizzie for the text messages is some properly ridiculous Brass Eye shit.

Also, these highlights packages are being produced by BT, so by about October they'll probably be a month behind schedule and £1 billion over budget.

LOL

Colchester's first... fuck me.

so many lolz were had about this when my friends and i watched the highlights...just so many lolz

The bits where they cut to Lizzie for the text messages is some properly ridiculous Brass Eye shit.

― Susan Tully Blanchard (MPx4A), Sunday, 9 August 2009 18:27 (1 hour ago) Bookmark

Here's hoping that once the season starts going, they are open to giving in the 606-eque mentos a televised voice, this weekends was predictable start of the season, "bring in shearer!" boringness.

He's never done himself any favours image-wise, to put it mildly, but I think O'Leary could be a decent enough impact manager for Newcastle - you just don't want him hanging around your club too long, and you need to keep him on a tight leash wrt the media.

It's certainly the type of job that would appeal to his ego, if nothing else.

He's definitely the kind of manager you'd be looking for if you had a huge wage bill and needed to get your squad leaner and cheaper.

I especially liked the shaky-cam dude creeping closer and closer to her for each successive email link. The younger, hipper MOTD, with standing presenters and a blue-neon interface printout zone!

Opinion was divided on aesthetic merits of Lizzie. I was the lone voice in the 'for' camp, but then I have exceptionally stubborn friends. Mind you, by halfway through I wanted more football highlights and less Lizzie. Preferably all of one and none of the other.

She kinda looks like John Terry in drag.

Nice body, a faceful of mischief, and seems the sprightly tomboyish kind you always wanted to fuck at school

Ok bro, you may like to step away from the gin/viagra/mushrooms right about now.

TBF she has scrubbed up a bit since Newsround.

Did Manesh used to be a rubbish League 2 defender or something? I'd be able to put up w/ his boringness if he was a footballer; if that's the most exciting presenter the BBC can get after 'im-off-the-One-Show then blaudy hell. Also, cover up the chest hair please.

Lizzie has Richard Hammond's scar-covering haircut.

the sprightly tomboyish kind you always wanted to fuck at school

Did you not go to an all-boys school?

hence the "ish"

It could be worse, it could be Jake Humphries. Instead he gets to ruin F1.

xpost this is as an alternative to Jake, not as an alternative to Lou-Jag's schoolboy fantasies. Though it could work either way, tbf.

there were girls in the sixth form ffs

Manish was a terrible Cricket World Cup highlights presenter, and he's not much better now.

er, alternative to Manish. Jake as an alternative to Jake = kill your television.

Anybody looks good alongside Steve Claridge tbh

I love how the title sequence on this mirrors ITV's The Championship in its emphasis on the fans because the players and clubs are, y'know, a bit shit.

steve was looking in rude health imo

Football is nothing without fans (c. some successful Scottish bloke that Manish has probably never heard of)

xpost

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_3970000/newsid_3972800/3972827.stm

ITV managed to show all the goals and still have a proper highlights montage of their main match, presumably the Beeb think people watch this shit for pundits and Your Emails.

Ooh, mysterious about her age!

xpost

ITV also had Andy Townsend: Anchorman.

Sorry I'm liveblogging this shit, didn't realise they showed the main match 3rd.

hmm ok she's something of a boring posh bint, less interested, would still smash tho

They also have highlights packages for every game up on the website tomorrow morning, if I read their website right.

Wow. So have the Beeb got internet rights for all non-Premier English league matches then? Cos if I'd paid for a subscription to my club's site to get basically the same footage I'd be well peeved.

The BBC football league show reminds me of the presentation style of Watchdog, with lizzie sitting on desk and reading out texts

Next week's show to feature a bunch of Norwich fans wanting their money back.

"Chris from Newcastle has phoned up to complain about the purchase of an Irish winger"

re: Norwich - I through Delia & Gunny were going to offer up some tasty menus this season, but yesterday was a right Dog's Breakfast

maybe Gunny should go back to his Corporate Hospitality job at Carrow Road?

The club sites getting it first is what keeps Beeb from upping it til Monday, I think. Then again, last season I'm pretty sure Virgin Media had full highlights bobs too, so I'm guessing the Beeb just got their package?

Phil Jones all chasing Danny Wilson to his car, secretly filming Paul Ince agreeing MK Dons shouldn't exist, that sort of thing.

Also, just realised - Peschisolido's the first North American manager in Britain, isn't he?

Presumably. Although he probably qualifies as a Brit by now

Make sure you all watch the Charlton-Wycombe highlights. I can say with absolute certainty that it was the best game of the day. The goals don't tell half the story.

Still trying to think of some random Canadian in the Scottish third division or something, but I think you're probably right.

Lawrie Sanchez

And the second one, Clinton has headed it at knee height. If you're a defender and he heads it that low you take his head off, it's as simple as that.

This will put a dampener on my birthday for sure but Roy Keane's birthday is not, and should not be, important in the grand scheme of things.

Oh, and I forgot to check, so I just found out, but AFC's Conference debut started with a 1-1 draw at home against Luton. Promising, eh?

I can't remember ever having come away from a loss and getting such a positive feeling among our fans. We lost the game to a late goal, but after fifteen or twenty minutes of shocking stage fright, during which we could easily have conceded three, we totally held our own against a moderate Leeds side (and some genuinely astoundingly homer officials). If this is the best we're going to face in the division, the thinking goes, we'll likely be OK. Next up: QPR in the League Cup and Norwich City at ours in the League. Cripes.

Naaarwich fans: Can we (Melbourne) have our keeper back now?

well i never...WBS will be ecstatic at this news

Bristol Rovers striker Rickie Lambert seals £1m move to Southampton
http://bit.ly/qM860

The AFC Wimbledon game was really very promising, both goals were pretty debatable penalties (ours maybe a little more debatable than theirs!) but the general standard of play was a definite improvement to what I have seen from them in previous seasons.

After a bright start from us Luton bossed the first half but the second half was all AFC and if the game had been played for another 5 minutes I reckon we would have won it.

I still think we'll be high mid-table without making the playoffs, 9th or 10th maybe, but then again I also thought we'd get smashed on Saturday so I clearly know fuck all.

Lewis Taylor in our midfield is a league player in the making by the way.

I was out of the country last year so didn't get to many games, but I'll be at most home matches and a few away games this season so I'll hopefully posting more and lurking less...

hopefully *be* etc etc

apparently Exeter City had their biggest away support EVER up at Elland Road - but how many?

2800 odd. Not sure where you heard that it was our biggest away support ever but it wasn't. Might have been our biggest away support for a league game but I'm not even sure about that, tbf.

(That is to say, a regular league game rather than a play-off obv.)

re: Exeter and "biggest away support for a league game"

yep, i was listening to the radio and a journalist at the game mentioned it

Beeb's confirmed Lambert. Holy shit. Did we... did we just get stuff done? I mean, it's not exactly "nothing can stop us now" territory, but it's a pretty huge step forward.

Gasmen not gonna be happy about that imo

rumour Trundle to become a Rover

looks like Pardew has hit Gold, a 6 ft 2 striker that is a goal machine at league 1 level, approaching his peak years at 27 and half, strikers aged 27-30 are often at their peak performance, they have both experience of positioning / tactics and athletic ability.

Two other big deals gone down in the Championship - Joe Mattock's gone to West Brom, and Adam Hammill has signed permanently for Barnsley.

i was enjoying Torquay batter Chesterfield, then saw a woman dropping her knickers in a toilet cubicle

the replay can be watched...
BBC football show kicks off season with embarrassing glitch as highlights cut to shot of woman in a toilet cubicle
http://bit.ly/3p7sYK

The football programme is on much too late, i suppose it's for the morons who have just arrived home from the pub.

- Kathleen, Wakefield, UK, 10/8/2009 14:33
Click to rate Rating -29

Kathleen in Wakefield - No, it's on at that time for the people who have stayed at the pub to get away from brittle harpies and their cacophonous prattle, love.

Know what I mean?

- Ade, Brighton, 10/8/2009 17:00
Click to rate Rating +8

the british cankles

BBC Sport picture subs outdo themselves again

"nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo"

also I am actually quite tickled by the fact we lost to a strike by a player called GODSMARK

further tickled by the fact Andy Gray had a shocker and must now be culled to save his own face

Paul Sturrock, Football Genius:

"We tried to change our whole philosophy of football. We concentrated on passing the football in pre-season and the one key factor for us is that we have forgotten how to defend."

And Martin Ling's back in at Cambridge now chairman George Rolls has resigned.

potential new messiah at newcastle?

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11688_5488215,00.html

GUNN FIRED !

Bryan Gunn wanted to win promotion, but won the sack race instead

the mirror with the scoop

Bryan Gunn fired by Norwich City
http://bit.ly/lLFph

GUNN'S CONTRACT TERMINATED
http://www.canaries.co.uk/page/NewsDetails/0,,10355~1755120,00.html

Now that... that just seems headless. Yes, losing 7-1 at home on opening day is bad, but they then went and won 4-0 in the cup - and looked pretty decent in so doing - against a fellow League One side in midweek. That seemed to have given them a bit of momentum, which has presumably now completely evaporated. Really quite bizarre.

Notts County have signed Kasper Schmeichel on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee, believed to be a club record.

Sheeeeeeeeee-it.

Re Gunn, a real shot in the dark this bulletin. No barrel of fun for the Canaries. How to gauge what they must be feeling. Hope they don't fire blanks this weekend. I keep clearing my cache to get the latest.

"You've knifed me in the back!" claimed Gunn. "I can't believe I've been given the axe, catapulted into the wilderness."

by the way: the mirror's new standalone footie website is rather good, with news updates throughout the day

Mirror Football
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/

i saw a good advert for it during the England match

just went there and was greeted by huge face of Ribery. how will i sleep tonight?

DO NOT CLICK THIS LINK
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/pictures/The-Alan-Shearer-Collection-article83727.html

Pardew out.

Yeah, we basically sucked today, with a few exceptions. Our defence was actually OK, despite conceding three - the midfield, Lallana excepted, really didn't seem to be anywhere, and having Lambert and Rasiak up front together... yes, it's rare for us to have strikers that are good in the air, but that just resulted in us lumping it long All The Fucking Time, and Huddersfield had no trouble dealing with it at all. Lloyd James is not a winger. Jake Thomson is too lightweight to threaten. And I still have no bloody idea why, now we have money, we can't get a better midfielder than Paul Wotton. Just someone who can pass would be nice. Too many balls with no-one on the end of them, too much damn space for Huddersfield to exploit... really quite poor. Kelvin Davis is still awesome, though.

Should say that Huddersfield do look a good side, actually. Very organised, good on the ground and in the air, pass and move quite nicely, and their keeper and strikers look alright. The Galpharm is also a very nice stadium - surprisingly good atmosphere given there were only 12,000-odd there. Well worth a visit if you get to go there.

the reading payer who's just come on v newcastle hal robson-kanu sounds like a player generated by championship manager when all the real-life players on your game have retired

'player'

I caught myself welcoming Leeds' good form. 'They've suffered enough', I was thinking.

But I'd still prefer to see them, Newcastle, Wimbledon and all the rest re-enacting Premiership 2000 in League Two in a couple of years' time

I caught myself welcoming Leeds' good form.

Me too. Even money win :)

After two games Coventry have the Championship's only 100% record and Swansea are the only team without a point. Going be a tight season.

Cov top of the table after 2 games just like last year. excited about the ride down.

Interesting thing about Football League Show tonight - Jacqui Oatley as Miss Text-Reading Lady. She did a much better job, and she seems like one hell of a better presenter than Manish. Wd like Beeb to consider that.

Also they managed to mis-spell the surnames of two of Ipswich's subs.

Also, Emnes' goal for Boro = A++

OMG that was Jacqui Oatley :o

*remains very quiet*

I really like Shola Amoebi for some reason. Unfortunately, I'd wish he'd never score again because I feel queasy when his team win.

btw no shit how fucking funny was that disallowed palace goal

warnock on the phone to the highlights programme to complain about it (it must have been 11pm or close to it) a++

guy knows whats up, bringing WWE villain dynamic straight into your living rooms, britain

from his house in CORNWALL *map of cornwall*

thanks, Manish!

steve claridge = budget tedward sherring of nottinghham

jacqui oatley = pure fucking garbo

"Cheating is not a very nice word to use especially when we had nothing to do with it except for being the opposition on this occasion," said the City boss.

"We knew the ball had gone into the net, but we got word the ref said there was an infringement so there is nothing more we can do.

I haven't seen this yet - was there actually a free kick given or did they just bullshit like they didn't know play hadn't even stopped?

Simon Jordan and Neil Warnock both being very angry at the same time is like some firestorm of twat rage.

you dish out a thrashing to Norwich City, now your appointed as the new boss

Paul Lambert is the Norwich City manager
http://search.twitter.com/search?q=paul+lambert

Lambert wanted to sign Grant Holt in the summer for Colchester

It'd be kind of sweet if he now takes Norwich down on goal difference.

Grant Holt was dreadful on Saturday. Norwich looked very badly organised, to me. They've clearly got some v good players for L2.

loooool jim magilton

rtc i'll let you be the first to say it

also we just came from behind to win away from home o_O

I just discovered Christian Dailly went to Charlton! And scored a goal!

XD

Scored a goal WITHIN 20 MINUTES of his competitive debut!

He used to be a centre forward, back in the day. And a right winger. And a wing back. And a right back. And a centre half. And the tea lady.

Forgot holding midfielder, damn!

Tenner says the word "versatile" is on his wiki page.

lol a winner is me

Christian Edward Dailly (born 23 October 1973) is a Scottish professional footballer who is currently playing for Charlton Athletic. He is a versatile player, often seen in defence or defensive midfield, but has played in most outfield positions during his career.

I doubt we'll be seeing him roaming down the wing much this season. We only ever seem to have 3 fit CBs at the best of times.

Supporting Reading is not fun. Now I know how it feels to follow a shite team.

At least you don't have Jim Magilton as your manager. We'll never win games with Buzsaky and Connolly sitting on the bench.

we're 'avin a laugh

I dunno, this all seems pretty new to me. Used to supporting a team where I can be blase about starting a season 6-1 and 4-1.

almost posted midweek to say i vaguely liked the cut of magilton's jib and that sacking another fella would be unthinkable anyway. of course he then goes and drops buzsaky. DO ONE JIM.

we sold gray! we sold gray! we sold graaaaaay!

barnsley are relegated

you'll have your work cut out turning that into a chant

it's be kind to your web-footed friends with dodgy scansion innit

Sol to Notts County then?

lolz.

BBC says it's being announced this afternoon. Bloody hell.

Clearly they're only doing it as a reaction to this, though.

why would he do that? Too old to appreciate the eventual fruits of their money, and surely they're not that rich, like, surely a lower Premier or higher Championship side would've picked him up for whatever they're paying him?

No, I'm pretty sure that they are that rich. Or at least willing to throw enough money at Sol to give the impression of being that rich. Plus also it would count as a new challenge for him to get a club promoted at this level, as opposed to, say, being part of Cardiff's umpteenth play-off heartbreak.

like sven he's obviously just gone there cos of the "four women for every man" thing. obviously.

my giddy aunt i've only just seen Notts County's away kit

And he's on a five-year deal. This, perhaps, might have been a factor in persuading him.

Would have thought it's because they're eying him up as a player-manager after Sven inevitably fucks off in two years' time.

Brian Laws demonstrating, post Jeffers assault on opposition player mid game, that he just hasn't got the nous or attitude to make it at the top level of english football.

"The kind of behaviour enacted on Tuesday night is completely unacceptable and does not represent what Sheffield Wednesday stands for and clearly sets a bad example for the game of football"

And in the midst of all last night's shenanigans, Swansea nearly became the first British team to force a match to be abandoned by being reduced to six players since that Sheffield United game from the late 90s.

No, actually, make that 2002. Surprised it was that recent.

Really wanna know what caek made of that one

didn't think wba came out of it well.

so Pompey are interested in Watford's 6ft 3 Central defender Mike Williamson

is Mike Williamson really better than Roger Johnson?

"Oh no, just hours after news of a multi-million pound takeover at Portsmouth and towering Watford centre back, Mike Williamson, slaps in a transfer request after Pompey make an official swoop for his services…"
http://www.watford.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=167924

"Think Brum`s £5m move for Roger Johnson as a fair guideline - and Mike`s a better defender"

how the mighty have fallen - Brian Little in the Blue Square North

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/8227420.stm
Gainsborough have appointed former Aston Villa, Leicester City and Wrexham boss Brian Little as their new manager on a two-year deal.

Ugh. Just... ugh. On the plus side, we're starting to gel alright as a team. But... ugh.

Simon Davey's gone from Barnsley.

Nathan Tyson: idiot

Steve Claridge's new haircut is somehow making him look even less comfortable. No Jacqui Oatley means Manish and Lizzie get to resume their chloroformin' cousins routine.

According to the Daily Echo's Twitter feed, Notts County's newest recruit might be... Marek Saganowski. Who, in case you're unaware, is apparently being pressured to leave Southampton to improve his international chances. Erm.

I just read on a Celtic blog that Henrik Larsson was on his way to Notts County.

Notts County - Wacky Rumours

pavel nedved
Henrik Larsson
Bejani
Saggywhatshisnameski from Southampton

Lincoln City manager Peter Jackson has been sacked.

And Aidy Boothroyd is finally back in work at Colchester.

Mike Newell furious at lack of Grimsby fans calling for his head

oi swygart

are we gonna be 'avin you on saturday

n.b. this is the first game so far this season i think we might lose

'fraid not - I've got to keep money tight for rest o'month, so my next sighting of our beautiful boys is when we play Carlisle in a couple of weeks.

alas, well, you'll be getting the full lowdown on papa waigo n'diaye and his slightly callous subjugation of charlton's unsuspecting defence from the horse's mouth itself

provided the horse recovers from this nasty cold/flu/who knows anymore

Heartbreaking: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2009/09/carl_baker_and_stockport_an_ex.html

got a real kinda sense of sickening dread about qpr-palace tonight; usually you expect the general deep sigh crap but this one feels deep somehow.

phew.

If Briatore gets charged over the F1 scandal he can be forced out the club for failing the fit and proper persons test, so there may be hope for Jim yet even though he's already demonstrated that he's fucking clueless.

will believe both those things happening when i see them (especially in the case of the fa suddenly growing a pair). were that all to occur i fear all the people eagerly expecting the mittals to snap up the flav's shares are in for a nasty surprise.

we're fucked either way tbh. even if jim does get his p45 you just know fate has the colossal hobnailed kick in the knackers that is dennis wise in store for us.

(for the benefit of those lucky enough to support someone else i should mention that evergreen cheeky chappy former chelsea captaining career cunt wise is said by some to moonlight as a massive rangers fan since his youth, and supposedly still turns up at loftus road with his fam whenever he can. also he trashed the blue peter garden with sir les that time.)

or yeah yknow, roberto mancini is just biding his time obv.

The Mirror's Ian Winwood offers a textbook example of how not to do investigative journalism.

Hahahaha cue celebratory "You Played Yourself" Youtube link.

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/incoming/article90863.ece/ALTERNATES/large/ian-winwood.jpg

Get ready to miss Gavin Strachan

GET INNNNNNNNNN. you don't half wonder if there's more than a hint of coincidence to taarabt being out and that happening though.

not sure what to make of the boro result, but qpr also once bafflingly beat them 5-0 too in 1998, in thee single greatest flouting of the form book i've ever encountered. west brom arent that good surely.

forest average, blackpool doing well, keano nosediving - ner ner, told yall.

can i just FUCKSAKE

can i just FUCKSAKE

― alien vs the smiths (country matters), Saturday, September 19, 2009 4:27 PM (27 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

echoed (ipswich fan)

we maybe need a reading fan now

is it possible to NEED a reading fan?

90 mins +3, yes i see your pain

this happened a few times last season, and it is happening again. we had better merk exeter (sorry tim!) next week. erm and i am totally visiting my brother (studying at Leeds Uni) on the 3rd

Just watched the FL highlights show. Seemed to be a shitload of penalties awarded today, with about 1/3 of them missed. Three or four quality contenders for missed sitter of all time.

Hold on Louis, what's happening again?

Chances are your lot will win next week, City are looking decidedly shaky right now despite out awesome unbeaten run stretching to a mighty TWO games.

The way it's looking for the Argyle, it is imperative that we stay in this division.

The conceding of 93rd/94th/95th-minute equalisers in 2-2 draws. Happened about 3 times last season. :(

Pretty sure you'll stay in L1 tbh, there's enough weakness elsewhere

Am watching FL show on iPlayer. Luggy Sturrock looks like shit these days, eh? I mean, he more or less always looks like shit, but at the moment he really looks awful.

That Sammy Clingan goal for Coventry, tho. Whoa.

The future of Sol Campbell, the former England centre back who joined Notts County last month in one of the most surprising moves of the year, is shrouded in doubt after reports last night suggested that he had walked out on the Coca-Cola League Two club.

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01487/sol-campbell_1487179c.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/notts_county/8270272.stm

lol

change in a month:

Tuesday, 25 August 2009

Campbell seals Notts County move
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/notts_county/8218136.stm

I'll play for at least three years and then go from there. They've got a lot of ideas but I'm here as a footballer, to keep on winning promotion and getting them up into the Premier League.

"It's going to be different but I don't mind starting again. League-wise it is moving down but they've got ambitions to move up and I think we will.

Notts County set to be docked 30 points for financial irregularities regarding the takeover of the club by Munto. Information stating ownership has been denied thus far to the football league and a 30 point sanction will be in place as a measure and a warning to future clubs.

oh wow

!!!! (O)_(0)

ok, that rumour has apparently been doing the rounds since the weekend but has not been picked up by any newspapers. any source yet?

The incredibly reliable football-rumours.com

HEY SOL

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/noodle_vague/mantfu.jpg

kinda feel for dude tbh

no wait fuck that fuck

"I'm never quite sure how far to go with praising young kids because the next thing you will see him probably driving a Mercedes and he'll have his socks over his knees and four earrings in and a Walt Disney hat."
Norwich boss Paul Lambert on his young midfielder Korey Smith.

As BBC quotes of the week go, this is actually quite funny. Like Stewart Lee on rappers, but for footballers.

xpost

Was gonna say "he doesn't like it up him" but then reconsidered.

i've taken the high moral ground and no longer post anything that could be considered even mildly slanderous against sol campbell

Sven-Goran Eriksson took time out from perusing his copy of League Two For Dummies this afternoon to conduct an interview with Sky Sports News in which he confessed that he hasn't "met the people" who own Notts County and admitted that he didn't really care who they are as long as "the money comes". It was revelatory stuff that showcased a side of the Swede the Fiver had never seen before.

But while he didn't say as much, the serial football lottery winner managed to convey the impression that he'd rather not meet his benevolent benefactors, lest they should turn out to be a consortium comprised of Gary Glitter, the hunter who shot Bambi's mum and other characters unsavoury enough to force him into an examination of his conscience that might, just might, force him to think up a really, really good reason why he shouldn't resign.

"Money comes in and everything is good. Everything we are asking for, we get it," explained Eriksson, as a truck pulled up in the background and the driver shouted "Oi, Speccy! Where d'ya want these bespoke giant chocolate swans?" Of course while the loot that continues to pour in from Notts County's unknown backers may be able to buy most things, one thing that has proved elusive is the loyalty of Sol Campbell, who left the club after deciding that 90 minutes of getting kicked around desolate landscapes such as Christie Park week-in and week-out wasn't worth £2m per year.

"I'm very disappointed, very much so," smirked Eriksson. "We signed him and we thought we'd have him for a very long time." With Campbell choosing to forego an explanation for his decision in favour of being papped wandering the streets of London looking distant and angst-ridden, Sven could only guess at the ageing defender's reasons for taking the extraordinary decision to walk away from 1,796 bumper pay-days. "Ah, well, ahh ... I really don't know," he said. "He didn't like the training pitch or the dressing room. But he knew that when he signed. We're not perfect, it's a long-term project. You can't build a new training ground in four or five weeks. We feel very sorry he's gone but the project goes on." As will Sven. You won't find him walking away from any long-term projects, at least not as long as money comes in and everything is good.

Oh, why is it more disappointing to narrowly lose (Charlton only really scraped past Exeter in the end, despite completely murdering us for the first 25 minutes or so) than to receive an expected stuffing.

We looked much better than I'd hoped, and Charlton looked pretty brainless past being big and fast and strong, but having anticipated losing by three or four, I should be pleased with a decent performance shouldn't I?

I gather it was like our worst performance of the season tbh...we've played some pretty neat stuff

Annoyed I overslept thus missing the train I needed to go to Carlisle, cos I was looking forward to going to Brunton Park. Even more so when the Saints' Twitter feed revealed the extent of the media facilities.

Guys, should I go and shack up with Swygart my Leeds Uni-studyin' brother this weekend replete with ticket or does the outlay not justify the trip?

also lol @ that pic

also am thinking I'd rather do Halloween Brunton Park than this, if forced to choose

Gotta give major props to my man Micky Adams, gonna try his strategy on Football Manager real soon.

Come up, dude. We has booze. Might still be early enough you can get advance return.

this is seriously mega-tempting you know...cannot promise anything but yeah this sounds like it could be worth it, wd kill numerous birds with one stone

most of all finally meeting Swygart and discussing the lamented career of Noel Whelan and other such luminaries, a conversation I am confident I could not have with anyone else

ffs it ain't letting me buy tickets online

That said, I have never been Elland Road itself, but the Leeds fans I know are nice enough. I would say, though, that Huddersfield is a nice day out, but you're not there til March, so plenty time to save up.

:D

Well, I'll do my best to come this weekend. If not then I'll doubtless be around some time sans Charlton, as my brother is definitely owed a visit. The scoundrel. Weren't Huddersfield meant to be bossing this league?

I'm not sure what happened in that regard - a 0-0 home draw with Stockport isn't exactly the way to go, but they've started steadily enough. Leeds, honestly, look like they've finally got all their pieces in place - they look like they're gonna need to go some to fuck this up.

The real story thus far, though, are Brizzle Rovers. We buy their best player, and all their other players suddenly become well good instead. Tssk.

Up the Gas etc.

lol roy keane.

why arsenal fans on this thread?

aka "if it's tuesday it must be the champion's league"

fckoff

why are you being a cunt? i also started a world football thread, am I not allowed to post on that because it specifies non-english speaking leagues? are supporters of league teams or scottish teams not allowed to post on the premiership thread now?

how am i being a cunt? pls explain.

as a gunner your keane lols are premiership-based. keep them to the premier league thread if you want to lol.

ok sorry

lol micky adams

eh?

ok do i have to laugh at port vale managers in the premiership thread as well?

ok i get it.
look, i support ipswich.
we're going through a very un-ipswich time but i'm ok with stuff.
lol keane refs just feel like other prem fans having a nice schadenfreude moment.

which don't relate to itfc as a league club, i should have added.

ok mayne, it's cool. micky adams putting the whole squad up for sale in september is pretty funny though.

Most neutrals are reasonably affectionate towards Ipswich I reckon. If there's any schadenfreude - really it's more wtfenfreude - it's directed squarely at Keano, and I don't think he'll be around to bother y'all much longer.

i wouldn't put it past keane to turn up with a semi-automatic at the next training session

he's only got a 2 year contract so there's a get out on either side.
fuck we were a goal down away at bramall lane, get 3-1 up and contrive to draw...
but that's no different to where we were with magilton.
this was only his 12th league game in charge.
trying to keep the faith.

I'm sure he deserves a proper chance but he's partly a victim of the media shitstorm that is being Roy Keane.

can't be arsed to moan tbh

well done to colchester united and their supporters

Poor the East London's Mighty O's.

oh lol southampton, that is much much much worse than what happened to us, also shit rovers might overtake us this weekend

soz for curmudgeonly posts last night

nah i feel you dogg, almost lashed out myself a while ago when qpr were flopping and goonerboy dropped the "Supporting Reading is not fun. Now I know how it feels to follow a shite team" ho-ho bullshit. (not mad about it now mind.)

anyway classic night in the championship yesterday - just when you thought you had it vaguely figured out the snowglobe gets the brisk shake and it's anyone's again. and from dreading a home game v palace i'm now positively licking my chops over rangers heading up to st james park tonight...

lol damien delaney btw :)

Ha, I am young and naive in it all, my bad. Trying to be less of a typical arsenal supporter comes in embarrassing leaps and bounds.

lol damien delaney btw :)

is there a col (cry out loud) equiv of lol? cos delaney's non-defending in the newcastle game made me want to weep.

sure i can see why you're glad to see the back of him, and for 750K? a fool and his money....

and rtc good point tonight, props

wellll i've got nothing to smirk at tbh - pretty sure we paid a million plus for the poor sod in the first place. have to say in his first season playing kamikaze footer under gigi de canio i thought he was quite fun, in an uh ineptly buccaneering sort of way...

and yeah, gotta be happy with the point tonight - fair play to jimbo, he seems to finally be finding himself the right balance between the dowie defence & de canio attack regimes. ironically as much as i poke fun at ahoyhoy rangers are probably the closest thing to the championship's random arsenalesque wildcard: butter when it clicks, utter clowntown when it don't. plus steve stone on the radio tonight was giving it the old "let's see how they cope on a windy december night in wherever" spiel (inbetween repeatedly suggesting his lads should hoof it up to carroll more often) so there you go.

During pre-season, Ipswich's players were taken on a survival course for a couple of days which saw them left to their own devices in the wild. The idea, naturally, was to take the players "out of their comfort zone" which for Keane sounds disappointingly like bullshit.

The centrepiece of this jaunt was the production of a live pig which was then transformed into a dead pig in order to provide the squad with something to eat for the next 48 hours. A few were said to have wondered how this would help them defend set-pieces but the headlong rush out of "the comfort zone" is one of the great orthodoxies in the age of bullshit and cannot be questioned.

John Barnes at last sacked !

seen on twitter:

Q: What do John Barnes, Charles Bronson and the Kaiser Chiefs all have in common? A: Fucking horrendous records.
http://twitter.com/bornengland/statuses/4731852937

McParland sacked by Notts County
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/notts_county/8303078.stm

damn, another last minute goal let in, tractor boys still without a win :-(

Have to admit that Magilton has us playing very, very good football at the moment, it's almost enough to start believing.

Middlesbrough sack boss Southgate

Wow, didn't expect that, especially as they're only a point behind the leaders.

I feel a bit sorry for him, I've always liked him for some reason - think cos he seems calm and reasonable, plus he looks a little bit silly, and I'd always assumed that team would come good given the time. Might be completely wrong tho.

Apparently rumours of Hope Powell becoming the next Grimsby manager, would be a huge story

Strachan In (?)

same as suedey, tbh, i like southgate, although i'm not sure he's a football manager. assistant job for him at a premier league club?

I'd have him.

Something is really rotten at Grimsby Town F.C. and I'm not sure any manager's gonna be able to turn it around on their own.

Unexpected benefits of League One - coming back to 1-0 down to gub the Franchise 3-1 is fuckin' sweet.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1222134/Pictured-The-moment-fuming-football-captain-launched-astonishing-attack-fan.html

fing abaaht lower league, raaht, is the interaction between the players and the fans, raaaht?

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/818963/brawl.jpg

What accent are you doing there?

weasel, from the wind in the willaaaahs

looking fwd to this qpr match more than i have any premier league match that didn't involve spurs in quite some tme. kinda fuck the premiership lately imo.

oh shit a taarabt

who should probably be playing for spurs, now that we have palacios to put behind him and threaten him.

Newcastle United have announced their stadium will be known as the sportsdirect.com @ St James' Park Stadium for the immediate future.

oh man, that is heartbreaking

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/8342992.stm

shall we just talk about Portsmouth in this thread from now on for practicality's sake?

If the Sunderland board have got anything about them they'll put in a bid for the St James' Park sponsorship rights tomorrow.

The Newcastle stadium thing is simultaneously really funny and really depressing.

just funny imo.

You won't be laughing when Arsenal's stadium gets named after some sponsor or other.

no, i think that would make me cry.

The Doves Farm Organic Wholemeal Bread Stadium

The best bit is that Ashley said he was putting the rights up for sale... and now he's given them to his company. Newcastle United are now in a situation where their chairman has renamed their stadium in an attempt to get one over on the chairman of Wigan Athletic.

cmon ipswich, let's get the last minute winner this time rather than giving it away.

and where are the non-prem ilxors on a saturday?

You won't be laughing when Arsenal's stadium gets named after some sponsor or other.

i'm sure andrex could find a good in somewhere.

Good a bye younger Fergie.

for all those spouting off about southgate's totally inevitable sacking at boro - peterborough's is what an actual crazy decision looks like.

props to gordon strachan btw, keep up the good lolwork.

what the actual fuck @ peterborough

i guess that's just what you get for selling us back super tommy 'didnt fecking square it in the 2003 play off final v cardiff which is now sure to repeat itself' williams.

Gus Poyet announced as Brighton and Hove Albion's new manager, hmm.

Living off his coaching success at Spurs and Leeds.

good luck to Gus

darraghmac in charge of a football club, i don't think there's any real surprise here.

"'Dear Players of Grimsby Town FC

'I am writing with regard to my absolute astonishment and disbelief as to the sheer magnitude of your complete lack of talent and failure to carry out the job for which you are paid to do. I am not aware of any swear word or other derogatory phrase in my current vocabulary which comes close to a description of your 'performance' (and I use that term loosely) this afternoon, but let me just say that you have collectively reached a level of inadequacy and ineptitude that neither I nor modern science had previously considered possible.

'In fact I recall a time, in my youth, when I decided to call in sick at work and instead spent the entire day in my one bedroom flat wearing nothing but my underpants, eating toast and w***ing furiously over second-rate Scandinavian porn. Yet somehow, I still managed to contribute more to my employer in that one Andrex-filled day than you complete bunch of toss-baskets have contributed to this club in your entire time here.

'I would genuinely like to know how you pathetic little p***flaps sleep at night, knowing full well that you have taken my money and that of several thousand others and delivered precisely f**k all in return. I run a business myself, and I believe I could take any 4,000 of my customers at random; burn down their houses, impregnate their wives and then dismember their children before systematically sending them back in the post, limb-by-limb, and still ensure a level of customer satisfaction which exceeds that which I have experienced at Blundell Park at any time so far this season.

'You are a total disgrace, not only to your profession, not only to the human race, but to nature itself. This may sound like an exaggeration, but believe me when I say that I have passed kidney stones which have brought me a greater level of pleasure and entertainment than watching each of you worthless excuses for professional footballers attempt to play a game you are clearly incapable of playing, week-in, week-out.

'I considered, for a second, that I was perhaps being a little too harsh. But then I recalled that I have blindly given you all the benefit of the doubt for too long now. Yes, for too long you have failed to earn the air you've been breathing by offering any kind of tangible quality either as footballers or as people in general. As such, I feel it's only fair that your supply runs out forthwith.

'I trust, at this precise moment in time, that Mr Fenty is in his office tapping away on the Easyjet web site booking you all one-way flights to Zurich, complete with an overnight stay with our cheese eating friends at Dignitas. Don't bother packing your toothbrush - you won't need it.

'In the event that our beloved chairman can't afford the expense (understandable given that he's soon going to have to assemble a new squad from scratch), then I am prepared to sell my family (including my unborn child) to a dubious consortium of Middle Eastern businessmen in order to pay for the flights. Christ, I'll drive you there myself, one-by one, without sleep, if I have to.

'Failing that, understanding that most dubious Middle Eastern businessmen are tied-up purchasing Premier League football clubs, I ask you to please take matters into your hands. Use your imagination, guys - strangle yourselves or cover yourself in tinfoil and take a fork to a nearby plug socket, or something. Just put yourselves and us fans out of our collective misery.

'So, in summary, you pack of repugnant, sputum-filled, invertebrate b***ards; leave this club now and don't you f**king dare look back. You've consistently demonstrated less passion and desire than can commonly be found within the contents of a sloth's scrótum, so frankly you can just all f**k off - don't pass go, don't collect your wages, don't ever come back to this town again.

'I look forward to you serving me at my local McDonald's drive-thru in the near future.

'Yours sincerely
A very disillusioned Mariner'"

just coming here to post that :)

http://thefishy.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1257631840/s-0/

Peterborough saga gets a bit odder - Fergie Jr's replacement is apparently set to be Kettering gaffer Terry Cooper. Which doesn't suggest a club looking for a quick fix, since he's completely inexperienced at this level. Kettering have done well under his stewardship, but we're hardly talking Nigel Clough levels of achievement.

Still - Exodus Geohaghan for the Championship, anyone?

Whaat? Mark Cooper has been tootling around a few jobs in the upper end of non-league for a bit, trees have generally not been in fear of being pulled up in his presence.

If they'd appointed his dad as you suggest that would have been a different matter...

Gus Poyet's assistant at Brighton - Mauricio Taricco!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsLO2KVv0Mo&feature=related

At the 1'07 mark, classic material.

Mauricio fucking Taricco.

^^lol yes

Can I just? WOOOOOOOO. Thanks.

Not sure if it belongs on this thread, but seeing as football doesn't get any realer than this... I mentioned a while back about how I'd thought youngsters were being trained properly these days, only to be put right by seeing some actual kids' action. More of this going on as I made my way home tonight in atrocious conditions. Actual coaching of a sort too, with shouted instructions like "Try something different, Ryan" and "Don't let this mob settle".

Anyway, as well as savouring everyone lining up in the middle for a corner kick which bounces before it reaches the 18-yard box, I was tickled enough to get a couple of snaps of the loneliest kid in the world:
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/3968/theloneliestkidinthewor.jpg

If the wind weren't in his direction, he would have had no involvement in the game whatsoever. The camera hasn't picked it up, but it's absolutely tipping it down too - 45° right-to-left in the second shot.

Still - Exodus Geohaghan for the Championship, anyone?

― William Bloody Swygart, Friday, 13 November 2009 22:04 (1 week ago)

BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE

OH SHIT

probably the greatest part of finally meeting Swygart last weekend was attempting to pronounce Exodus' full name and being corrected by the master with scarce a beat missed

Disappointed they didn't work 'Player Exodus' into the headline.

is his name not just pronounced like "gay-gun" or what

There's an England C team?!

yeah, an amateur-only team. or semi-pro. something like that.

Insert England joke here

England C team = English players playing in the Blue Square Premier or below is eligible

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_C_national_football_team

they normally pick players in their early 20s

That's pretty cool, we should feature them more on this thread, even if they did get their arses handed to them by Bosnia B. Not too many of the C lads seem to make the big step up - nice to see Sam Ricketts notching goal of the week last Saturday though.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46807000/jpg/_46807671_89569998.jpg

BBC subs bringing the image quality again

poor barnsley :(

Kettering 1 - 0 Leeds United L

lol graham taylor and elton john etc

kinda waiting for rtc's verdict

props to gordon strachan btw, keep up the good lolwork.

― r|t|c, Monday, 9 November 2009 22:22 (4 weeks ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

be churlish of me to change my tack now tbh.

haaaaaaaaa

anyway i am watching this watford bullshit now so LET'S LIVE IN THE PRESENT EH. having just fired it up i have no grasp as of yet of what's going on but i see idiot napoleon jim has RUNG THE CHANGES by dropping all our actually good players and leaving in his beloved fitz "one cunt" hall. this bodes brilliant.

oh wow and leigertwood's back in midfield as well. this is extra fantastic cos jimbo's whole fecking purported reason for playing hall is his donna sammer "passing game" (which is obviously way better than our reigning players of the year gorkss & stewart comprising one of best defences of last season's division) - legs in the middle booting everything into touch is really gonna further this noble aim while wilkinseque passmaster faurlin dawdles away on the wing.

game is a bunch of haplesss balls so far btw, we look like a john gregory era timewaRP YESSSSS GET THE FUCK IN NEVERMIND WAHEY

looooooooooooooooooooooooool

we're still absolute pony so far mind. neither i nor jim have any belief in the moral validity of this game whatsoever but let's all just grind it out and get back to fannying around next time. watch & learn gooners!

oh tits.

...

poor qpr

taarabt was just unbefuckinglievable those last 10 minutes. every single shooting or passing opportunity that opened up he elects to turn the defender a third time or do twenty-six stepovers and fall over. he is a wind-up merchant on a wild, cosmic level; an agent of pure anarchy untrammelled by any regard for friend or foe, for right and wrong; cruel loki incarnate. bastard.

Fitz Hall looks like an easter island statue and has less mobility than one

XD especially @ rtc's outpouring - do a whole mini-essay and it'd put that grimsby rant in the shade

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1234340/Under-QPR-manager-Jim-Magilton-faces-axe-headbutt-Akos-Buzsaky-threatens-press-charges.html?

...

this fucking football club

eh i only clicked in to find out from those in the know how our loanees are doing.

eh and specifically taraabt.

i'll get me coat, then.

So yeah, Kettering were basically nowt short of heroic last night, pushed Leeds to within 10 minutes of penalties.

How has chairman Imraan Ladak congratulated them? By sacking assistant manager John Deehan for the substitutions he made in the second half of extra time.

That seems a dumb move on Ladak's part.

I love watching the amazement on the part of "we're football people" types when they find out that the kind of chaps who like to sink £££ into loss-making football clubs in order to create personal fiefdoms turn out to be the kind of chaps who make crazy and impulsive decisions.

Poor Mr Deehan's sacking is as much a part of English football's stupid business model as Leeds's horrible last few years, and for that matter Kettering's full-time squad.

(I know nothing about Kettering's finances or governance structures, by the way, so the above constitutes a complete guess based on other clubs I do know a bit about, and knowing that Kettering keep a full-time squad going on attendances of about 1000.)

managers are just employees guys, if they publicly fuck up then sack em imo

they were knackered and lost a scrappy goal then the roof fell in. I don't think the subs had anything to do with it.

this fucking football club

^
This

Tim: I agree with what you have written there.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/notts_county/8405269.stm

Notts County's owner Munto Finance has put the club up for sale, reports BBC Radio Nottingham.

It is understood that Munto is already in contact with interested parties.

One option is thought to be a buyout involving ex-England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, the director of football, and executive chairman Peter Trembling.

I believe that the Notts County Supporters Trust effectively *gave* the club (with debts included, admittedly) to Munto Finance in June this year.

Paul Sturrock - a fat man, in a jacket, who sometimes managed Plymouth Argyle but sometimes managed other clubs, and occasionally forgot to shave.

Still think we got rid of him too early.

what the hell is happening today

All the "I wondered when that would happen" things seem to be coming true! I wonder what's next?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/11/notts-county-john-armstrong-holmes
I wonder what Dave Boyle has to say about this?

apparently the conclusion of stockport-charlton was ridiculous

hahahaha some rotherham player scored the figueroa goal!!

you wait decades for an intentional 50-yard free-kick goal....

That'll be half an hour of Soccer AM sorted next week then.

FUCK YOU WINKLEMAN

looooooooool home park loooooooooool but yeah mk dons is possibly even more o_O

the outcome

No to: Leicester, Derby and Hull

Yes to: Nottingham, Plymouth and Milton Keynes

2018 host cities

Milton Keynes among winners as England 2018 host cities revealed
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/16/england-2018-world-cup-cities

Birmingham – Villa Park; Bristol – New Ashton Vale Stadium; Leeds – Elland Road; Liverpool – Anfield or New Anfield; London – Wembley, Emirates Stadium, New White Hart Lane or Olympic Stadium; Manchester – City of Manchester Stadium, Old Trafford; Milton Keynes – Stadium MK; Newcastle – St James' Park; Nottingham – New stadium; Plymouth – New Home Park; Sheffield – Hillsborough; Sunderland – Stadium of Light

assume stadium mk hits lolmodernspecs in some way that noone but fifa care about, right?

Portsmouth City Council pulled out last month, a bunch of cowards that didn't want to raise / guarantee 20 Million

Nottingham bagged the East Midlands slot, so they can now brag over their local rivals Leicester and Derby

Andrew Cole, an England 2018 ambassador

a Lordship beckons

outstanding

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phMqmrX3Tpo

just in case i was too subtle -_-

I was gonna say stadium mk hits lolsouthernspecs in some way but bearing in mind the demographics I guess the FA needed another stadium in that general area and Franchise fit the bill.

what about the ricoh arena amirite

itt we taunt spiralli abt his k-rub football team

miss that guy

what about the ricoh arena amirite - We don't want to satisfy Jon Gaunt / Gaunty !

to my discredit i did not know gaunty was a SB

I wd SB Gaunty in a second

but he brings such immigration and death-penalty lulz

Vintage Gaunty:

on the National Football Stadium: No to Wembley

"It should have been on the site of the Ricoh Arena in God's own city of Coventry - right in the heart of the motorway system and accessible to the whole nation."

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/columnists/john_gaunt/1821012/Jon-Gaunt-There-is-life-outside-the-M25-London.html

1820: Breaking news from the world of football: Reading are believed to have parted company with Reading manager Brendan Rodgers "by mutual consent". Hmm.

:(

Hmm indeed. On the one hand, he left Watford in the lurch to transform a side that came close to automatic promotion last season into relegation candidates, and there's very, very few ways you can positively spin one home win from 11; on the other, he's a young manager taking over from a feller who achieved unprecedented success over several seasons with a club that had previously been second/third-tier yo-yos, Reading's form towards the end of last season was fairly dreadful in any case, and if he was going to remake the club in his own style he's not been given anything like enough time to do it. It's an odd one, and where Reading go from here it's difficult to tell.

I didn't even know Coppell had left. Where is he now? Also, Stadium MK should've been disqualified on name alone - unless they revive the 'Team England' name, then they can play there forever.

just in case i was too subtle -_-

― like having an eternal kazoo in your underwear (acoleuthic),

any excuse to post the song tbh

Coppell just chillin' afaik

Jimmy Madge is gone from QPR, as is John Gorman. Eight managers in four years, is it?

owned by an out-of-work manager too

the price of progress innit

Actually, it's seven, and that's if you count Harford and Ainsworth who (I think) were caretakers.

temperance from mittal and company

so do we care about watford?

They're not in danger of going under, are they? It seems to be just directors haggling at the moment.

I saw that BBC coverage of SNOW CHAOS yesterday was from outside Vicarage Road, rather than the more traditional Shepherd's Bush Green. I wondered if they were trying to help the club out with some kind of royalty.

The trouble with the Watford situation is that it's not really very clear what's going on... first Salad Magnate is putting money in, then taking it out when other board members apparently muck him about, then offering to meet with board members to sort things out, and all the while poor Graham Taylor's stuck in the middle. And somehow, they're actually having a really good season, which is quite impressive given that Malky Mackay hasn't got any previous managerial experience. 10 points off them right now would only put them on the edge of the drop-zone.

one day i will understand my club's ticketing policy, but until then imma torch every motherfucker in the room

fuck i am so utterly enraged

boo hoos them millwalls will try and buy home end tickets so they can start trouble!! amirite!! hey there's something called a red card - it means ur a charlton fan - i have one such card

i mean i should have checked this sooner but right now this feels like one of the great modern injustices

there are gonna be like 8,000 unoccupied seats WELL DONE ITS LIKE YOU DONT WANT FANS

i guess to them i'm just another potential hooligan ;_;

Well, I'll be there on Floyd Road at 5pm with a shiv and a sawn-off bottle of riocha at any rate

im confused, did charlton-millwall start already?

they are not selling tickets any more. all ticket facilities closed until after the game

due to concerns over 'violence'

classy

their stipulations for getting a ticket: prove you are a red card holder AND prove via ticket-stub that you went to more than one Charlton game while we were in the Championship

I can do both fwiw

WTF @ Cardiff-Leicester game being postponed - it is sunny as a motherfucker here right now and there has been no snow to speak of this week

i am personally hoping for a violent and unbidden hailstorm in SE7 for entirely selfish reasons

http://noweurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/king-lear.jpg

l-r: christian dailly, matt holland

I, on the other hand, just left it too late to get tickets for our visit to Leeds. Shit. Soccer Saturday it is, then...

it is literally the worst day ever

literally

quite literally

ilx's most outspoken proponents of league one support BOTH manage to miss their biggest game of the season on the SAME day...CRISIS

never mind, i'll make up for it by being twice as obnoxious when leeds visit the valley

lol go disgusting savages

^ die

S.B.A.D.

lol disgusting savages

tbh this is the very very definition of mixed emotions

two penalties? there will be blood

http://blog.theartsfuse.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/blood.jpg

SOMETHING SOMETHING MILKSHAKE BITCHES

oh what is this

i'll tell you what this is: recipe for trouble

HAHAHA OMG

oh, just...whatever. i don't care any more.

You've got to chuckle.

Still, Exodus Geohaghan scored, which is cool.

I like how Millwall had a shot even after their equaliser. If that had gone in...ooh boy.

Anyway, either the fans will be too exhausted to ruck or there's gonna be carnage.

That does actually make things a lot better, WBS

Lizzie was at The Valley! Wonder who she supports.

Apparently there was no trouble whatsoever, basically. Which is good.

Is it me or is the BBC's commitment to showing several live Football League games actually a commitment to Newcastle United? [/bitter]

failed attempt at maybe hoping it would spur shearer into saying something interesting?

off to see us merk swindon iirc

my weekly pound is on charlton so i apologise in advance.

who's the dangerman

charlie austin is the dangerman

I actually bought a ruddy ticket today cos I'm down in That London for Xmas... and there's no trains. At all. Bollocks. So it's Soccer Saturday again...

Windass' face really is that big, isn't it?

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs174.snc3/20170_655106649230_36910239_41685917_1800763_n.jpg

That is, quite honestly, the most an equaliser or a draw has been celebrated in the modern history of CAFC

A draw that felt better than most wins. A performance of real grit. A finale that doesn't get scripted, ever, by even the most deluded of fantasists. Two fabulous goals. Justice, truth and a couple of points' breathing-space over Norwich. Nine men for an hour. NINE FUCKING MEN FOR AN HOUR AND WE DREW

Best thing: felt like a win, wasn't actually a win. UP YOURS SAMUEL YOU MILLWALL-SYMPATHISING TIT

Would like to point out that the aforementioned Charlie Austin scored one and assisted the other. They were shit goals, though. Unlike ours. Ours were genuinely wonderful.

loooooooooooooooooooooooooool trolling

oh Cardiffpaws

^^^AWESOME

Louis, that photo is fantastic!

No talk about Preston dumping Alan Irvine? Surely one of the least justified sackings this season?

considering there were 6 games played (incl last night), some fabulous goals

'Savage fury'

Paul Hart has been sacked apparently

Four year plan? More like four managers a year plan

lol wat

JUST MAKE TARAABT MANAGER FOR FUCK'S SAKE

rafa in

TAARABT EVEN IT'S A STUPID NAME ANYWAY

hahaha i recommend John Gregory - think he could give it a good stab

sadly greggers is managing in israel now i believe, although i do agree he deserves to reclaim his comedy dues from the crass pretender to his pink preppy sweatered throne that is phil brown.

um... wow did we really just do that. okay. tbf paul hart was an incompetent asshat who would have got us relegated (imagine the current arsenal team suddenly being managed by howard wilkinson) so i can't reaaaaally complain but still.

tbf paul hart was an incompetent asshat who would have got us relegated (imagine the current arsenal team suddenly being managed by howard wilkinson)

This is slightly harsh. Remember with chuckles when Gregory was the hot new property, the 'fiery young manager' out to ruffle some Premiership feathers. And to think Brendan Rogers is the latest model.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f14/snouts/gregdevil.jpg

fiery indeed

I remember Gregory laughing his ass off on the touchline while West Brom battered us in his last game in charge so at least he'd have a sense of humour about things.

Shame they won't get rid of Paladini. Before a game against Derby he told a bunch of fans that he thought Sousa was a 'cunt', this was when Sousa was still in charge.

aha

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f14/snouts/gregorypink.jpg

found it

dunno whether to post that pic to 'coaches caught in mid-coach' or rolling metal

XPOSTS hahaha

Brendan RoDgers, obviously. My spelling of lower-league 'personalities' is shot

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/2808128/Nicola-McLeans-vagina-surgery-vow.html#ixzz0cbSPLwhI

hey mr raif here be a vivid portmanteau to brighten the mood

Isn't she already married to one? :)

is jamelia still mrs byfield btw *researches*

On 3 November 2009 it was announced that the couple were filing for divorce.

o gods, if the innocent love between a mediocre pop singer and a walsall striker can be treated like this, what hope is there for the rest of us

DRUDGE-SIREN.JPG --- CRYSTAL PALACE HAVE GONE INTO ADMINISTRATION --- DRUDGE-SIREN.JPG

shoulda used gifs :(

can't wait to see victor moses's career path.

also :(

darraghmac very much in character

10pt deducation kicks in immediately according to my dad watching sky sports news.

Top captioning work from the BBC, here.

Also, Lawrence Donegan in the Guardian today reminded me how much fun Simon Jordan's Observer columns used to be.

So the Posh bizarro goes on - dear old Mark Cooper sacked (according to the BBC - I've seen other places saying he "left") after a little over two months. Deadline day is a strange time to sack anyone. It's a shame, both from the point of view of MC himself but also because it would be better for all concerned if Peterborough were not keepeng Argyle off the foot of the table.

In other news, some good (if rather lengthy) work from the StAlebuns Supporters' Trust in rebuffing the downright rude approach from the Club Board for their money. Subtext: the Board really do believe their fans are stupid. http://www.supporters-direct.org/news/item.asp?n=6849&cat=sd_eng

The Peterborough situation was odd enough when they dumped Ferguson... but now you get the feeling MacAnthony's grip is very much starting to slip, particularly given how ringing his endorsement of Cooper was upon hiring him. Meanwhile, Gary Megson changes his CV font to Garamond from Verdana...

"Chester City fucked" hasn't been news for the past 18 months at the very, very least, but surely this must be it now. Surely?

...

sweet minty jesus we are going down.

Also YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Anyone fancy going to this on Saturday?

And as Pompey go into administration, fellow south coast types Bournemouth stare into the abyss for the 793rd time (approx).

lol @ sum of money compared to Pompey's

Not clicking the story, I'm guessing 4 grand?

Bit more than that but certainly no more than two months' wages for David James

Goodnight sweet Chester too

http://chesterproject.webuda.com/

o_O

holy shit @ stockport-wycombe

so it turns out we played and won last night without me knowing :/

fortunately, i'd been there on tuesday to watch our heroic 2-1 defeat to brighton. left after 2 1/2 of 3 stoppage-time minutes, thus missing our goal

Macclesfield manager Keith Alexander dies aged 53, probably best known managerially for his exploits with Lincoln City.

but yeah, fairly torn up about this. RIP.

ah man, RIP

and RIP Chester City too

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/pictures/2010/3/10/1268259363819/Robbie-Savage-001.jpg

I'm pretty keen to see highlights of this

apparently his first act as goalkeeper was to psychologically wow a reading striker into smashing his penalty over the bar

you must defeat Shane Long to stand a chance

^^^awesome, deserves a spot on fantasy team names thread

hey i said that ages ago somewhere

villans be biters

(i may just have read it somewhere, tbf)

btw

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/8563350.stm

best moment: in diving for the penalty he rolls over twice, as if he were play-acting some commando

joy unconfined

"Crumbs. I'm going to make no comment. Just read this - Burton Albion 5-6 Cheltenham. Michael Pook with a 90th-minute goal. Still playing!"

what's worse, being a burton or a charlton fan this evening

retarded to do it by year rather than season, but these would >>>>>> any Prem GOTY

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8568432.stm

(obv the Simon Cox one is the best)

what's worse, being a burton or a charlton fan this evening

I had Burton on my coupon :-/

So npower takes over the league sponsorship as Coke couldn't sponsor the Children's Community Cup?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/8582533.stm

Joey Barton: I Am An Idiot

had quite forgotten this thread existed

way to go joey, you'll make a PFA representative yet

yes, this thread got crushed under the jackboot of ILE Continental La-Di-Da Soccerball Liveblog Hell

am frantically scouring this thread for diminutive lank-haired geniuses in red and blue shirts scoring relentless solo efforts - there must at least be some prime palace-era victor moses to sate my lust - come on

was Darren Ambrose's Fa Cup 40 yarder a bit of a "when yr dancing and laughing and finally living" type moment for you or

http://twitter.com/RobbieSavage8/status/10947631416

lol. cunt.

is that a gag in his mouth?

was Darren Ambrose's Fa Cup 40 yarder a bit of a "when yr dancing and laughing and finally living" type moment for you or

pretty much the definition of 'mixed feelings' tbh

Conn on Chester

The Chester debacle had totally passed me by, it's a real pity. Conn's on a really good run. He attracts a decent class of contributors too - something in the comments caught my eye for once:

maybe you could do a bit of a comparison between the fate of football clubs during the depression and today. I think about half the Southern League clubs went bust (and most reformed) in just a few years. Are we just going through the same cycle whereby some clubs disappear and new ones emerge to take their place? Taking an overview, is this a good thing?

You know you're truly lower-league when Nicky Forster signs for you

Millwall cruising, Leeds still level. So stoked for potential Leeds play-off failure again.

# 90:00+0:55 Substitution Andy Hughes leaves the field to be replaced by Tresor Kandol.
# 90:00+0:55 Shane Higgs takes the direct free kick.
# 90:00+1:40 Tresor Kandol challenges Darel Russell unfairly and gives away a free kick.
# 90:00+1:53 Sent off Tresor Kandol sent off.

2009/10 not really happening for sheff utd : (

could be worse, trust me

you could be a Palace fan XD

ghastly thought.

yeah, so glad I didn't sign up for this Shirt Of Hurt thingy

when it comes to dealing with relegation from premier league, sheff uni are probably faring better than most

every time they go up they seem to expect to go straight down, and spend accordingly, so they're financially pretty solid, yeah.

my plan is to leave europe for a while ~september, and it would be great to see some premiership football at the lane before i go though.

i need to buy a new scarf too. last one ("sheffield united - the pride of england") got ruined when i got a spectacular nose bleed on the munich subway and had to improvise.

^your photo of post-graduation tomato-age on the lol college thread is gone :(

Much as the spirit of Terry Butcher could be revived with a blooded scarf - yeah, a new and slightly less false-advertised one might be in order ;)

um bloodIed even

that's a capital i not an l

ideally i want to find one with an even more implausible claim in re: sheffield united. sth like

"sheffield united - 'wonderfully consistent and lyrically impressive' -- the new york review of books"

haha

"sheffield united - dominion over rotherham and surrounding districts since 1957"

i need to buy a new scarf too. last one ("sheffield united - the pride of england") got ruined when i got a spectacular nose bleed on the munich subway and had to improvise.

Is that 'improvise' in an impromptu theatrical performance sense?

'wonderfully consistent and lyrically impressive'

could totally imagine this for Chengdu Blades

there's a couple of other southampton fans on here aren't there? anyone going to wembley today? i'm gonna be streaming it in sydney hopefully...

1-0! lol @ that handball

4-0 after an hour. this is erasing all my painful memories of the 1992 zenith data systems cup final.

'Citizen Smith' (occasional poster here) is at Wembley today for this one.

utd just lost 0-1 at home to scunthorpe. great days.

;_;

more chance of palace going down tho :D

also just realised the johnstone's paint trophy is p much the only competition not covered by an ilx thread - unless 'beyond' can be used to define it. TAKE YR SOTON WITTERINGS TO ILNFL OR SOMETHING

request I Love Southampton board

see u in the playoffs!!

next season, you mean

fuck no I can't even joke - Soton are gonna win the league by 30 points next season ;_;

and then leapfrog pompey on their way down. what a time to be alive.

One for WBS, Follow Pompey in the Premier League 2009-10 - the Pride of the South Coast

― djmartian, Wednesday, 29 July 2009 11:55 (7 months ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

SECONDED. It will get all the funnier as the season progresses.

― William Bloody Swygart, Wednesday, 29 July 2009 11:56 (7 months ago) Bookmark

still amazing

bournemouth are in the L2 automatic places too so you'll probably have at least one derby next season

speaking of which, wtg rochdale, a sad season for stattos but a good one for your club tbh

signs you are spending too much time on your phd: you see "L2" on a football thread and you still think "what are bournemouth doing at the second lagrangian point?"

hahaha signs you're becoming more geeky: you see 'second lagrangian point' and wonder how that european space telescope is getting on

it's a ground telescope but yeah, pretty well : )

"you'll need it to see Portsmouth in a few years" TOPICAL HUMOUR

Roy Keane getting sacked apparently
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/mar/28/roy-keane-ipswich-town-manager
lolol if he ends up at Celtic

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/thingummy99/Picture2-2.png

lolol if he ends up at Celtic

DO NOT WANT

alan pardew style icon

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/apr/01/kevin-blackwell-sheffield-united-kes

loooooool

Losing to Leeds might turn out ot be a boon (rather like I kind of hope Leeds lose to Spurs and concentrate on promotion rather than the cup)

― Enfonce bien tes ongles et tes doigts délicats dans la jungle de (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 January 2010 17:26 (2 months ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

leeds don't need to worry about promotion; look who's chasing them! yes that's right, a team who notoriously stumbles at the end of every season and colchester united

― Inspiration for the sex robot sprang from the September 11 attacks (acoleuthic), Tuesday, 12 January 2010 17:29 (2 months ago) Bookmark

ha ok what the fuck happened to leeds?

reality

also COME ON YOU ADDICKS